I'm still at core the same person, but how I express myself today is almost the opposite of how I expressed myself twenty years ago. I was very caught into looking like the quintessential INTP when I was twenty, neurotic about ever appearing stupid or unknowledgeable, and denied any emotionalism that might have been coloring my views and decisions. Life has a way to curing you of that sort of extremism, though. At this stage in my life, I feel very well-rounded and integrated at last, capable of approaching a situation in most suited way -- whether that is being emotionally expressive, being analytical, being intuitive, or being down-to-earth. I credit both my marriage and my kids for forcing me to confront the one-sided dimensionality of who I used to be and change if I was to be a good parent and spouse.
Still, even from five years ago, I've radically changed. My spirituality/understanding of the world has made a large shift; I'm no longer with my ex, although we're still close; my social presentation is very different; and what's funny is that people who know me can't imagine what I was like before and/or see who I used to be as the shadow and who I am now as the real live person. I'm much more confident, bold, positive, engaging, willing to take risks.
The whole experience (scary when you're first contemplating letting go of what you know in order to become something you've dreamed but never yet tasted) gave me confidence in the power of change and a willingness to allow more change in the future. We might have some core traits that remain to us as individuals, but there is always capacity to transform.
As far as striving to change? Well, I think stability and consistency is a good thing when appropriate. Change just for change's sake can be disruptive to people, whether it's the person changing or those around the person changing. To me, it's more a matter of perceptive, intelligent change.
- Don't hold onto things past their time.
- Don't hold onto things that you realize are bad for you and/or others.
- Don't hold onto things just because you're scared of something new.
So I guess overall, it's more a matter of being tied into things and responsive to the natural ebb and flow of the world and time around us, and going with it.